NARS Laguna ♡

Ive never been a fan of powdered bronzers, I always find they end up looking too ashy and tend to move about on the skin throughout the day. As you all probably know, I love nothing more than a good cream contour and the full Kim Kardashian contour routine. As great as it is, it can be so time consuming on days I need to be out of the door in 10 minutes or for the mornings of school. 

I thought it was about time I invested in a good powder contour that I can use in the morning for school that wont be so difficult to work with. I cant even begin to tell you how much I hate how overly orange and pigmented most powder bronzers on the market are.

I picked up the NARS Laguna bronzer as its probably the most hyped about high end bronzer at the moment. It cost £27 which is pretty standard for any high end bronzer, plus it will easily last me about a year so I wasn't too fussed about how much it would cost. 

I've been wearing this bronzer everyday for school the last week and I love it, which I didn't expect at all. I find that it stays on all day in the exact place I put it in the morning without moving around on my face. The bronzer is buildable, its not so harsh that you have to be very careful when you put it on at first, I go right in and have no problems and then just work on darkening it to my preference. 

The best thing about it though I would say, unlike other bronzers, this is a true brown colour. It has no orange undertones, stopping you from looking like you've applied a fake tan gone wrong in pictures.

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MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot ♡

Ive been really getting into paint pots recently, they're so easy for everyday wear as they're so quick to apply. My everyday makeup routine has shortened drastically since I started using them. I had a look online to see what some of the cult paitpots on the market are just so I can have a little paintpot 'starter kit.' The most common name that kept appearing was MAC's Soft Ochre paintpot.

The formulation is great and they dry very quickly so theres no need to worry about smudging. The colour itself however is not really for me, Its quite light and pasty looking when worn alone on the eyes which is what I had originally intended on doing. This colour works great as a base to neutralise and prime your eyelids before applying your actual eyeshadow. If thats the sort of thing you are looking for then this is great for that, but worn alone I found it really washed me out and was quite unflattering on the lids. 

Will I be using it again? Yes. Would I repurchase or recommend it? No. 

I don't know what it is with me and cult beauty products but I never seem to get along with them like most people.

If you have any paint pot recommendations I would love for you all to share them with me as I am still collecting!

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Manicure Monday ♡

I haven't done one of these in months! Probably because my nails have been so basic for months.. I have been opting for just a simple one colour pastel since summer started, so I didn't think you all wanted to see your ordinary plain Jane nails. Now that its getting colder and we are drifting into autumn I can start going back to my regular black and white minimal nail art. 

I went for a basic look for minimal nail art that has been done a million times before and you've all probably already seen it, but I thought I would show you anyway!

Hope you're all having a wonderful bank holiday.

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MAC Rubenesque Paint Pot ♡

Im so sorry about how poor the content on m blog has been recently, I hate how much Ive neglected my blog the last two weeks. Now I feel a lot better and have so much content I cant wait to share with you all! The reason why I took such a long break from blogging was because it was my A level results day last week and sadly I didn't do as well I hoped. If you got your GCSE results today or A Levels last week I hope you all did well and if not, its not the end of the world which is what has taken me so long to realise. 

Anyway, back to the point of this blog post, I thought what would cheer my up more than anything after my bad results- MAKEUP! 

I have had my eye on this gorgeous paint pot for the longest time. I am a huge fan of paint pots, they are so quick and easy and speed up the eyeshadow process up so much. Invest in paint pots because they last forever on your eyelids and give a much better looking finish than eyeshadow in my opinion.

This is a pink/gold/orange mix of colours, I don't know how to describe it other than the fact its the most beautiful colour ever. Having no glitter in it  makes a huge difference, most paint pots have glitter in them making it look so clumpy on the eyes. Heres a swatch I got of it but sadly the photo doesn't do it any justice at all! This is a paint pot that you all need to go in stores and swatch and one I would put in my makeup 'must haves.'

 My go to look at the moment has been to do a golden smokey eye. I put this all over my lid, usually about 3 layers and then add 'mugshot' from the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. I will try and do a picture tutorial at some point for you all to see what it looks like on the eye lids. 

I leave and go to Santorini on Sunday so all my beauty posts are going to have to be put on hold as i have decided i'm going to start travel blogging! I cant wait to share my trip with you all.

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The Best Photo Editing Apps For Instagram ♡

I always get asked how I edit my Instagram photos, not just by you guys but my friends too! I thought it was about time I shared with you all my holy grail editing apps. To start off with I take all my pictures on my phone, unless I am promoting a blog post I will use the picture taken from my blog which might have been taken by my camera. 

1) Viscocam

My most loved app would have to be Viscocam- My instagram life was complete after downloading this app. I love this app because the filters are really subtle but you can play around with them until you're satisfied with how it looks on your theme.

2) Afterlight

Afterlight is very similar to Viscocam but its more the lazy girl option, you can play around with the selected filters but they always look so perfect without you doing anything!

3)Snapseed

Snapseed is basically photoshop for your phone! This is amazing for altering brightness, highlights, shadows etc but the best thing is the select function; you get to choose the certain parts of the photos to edit the saturation or brightness.

Im off to Santorini in a week and I wanted to ask if you would be interested in me starting to do Travel blogging. I go away a couple times a year and would love to share my travels with you all!

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Gluten Free Buckwheat Banana Pancakes ♡

I posted a picture of these gorgeous banana pancakes I made on Instagram and thought I had to share them with you!

I am not allergic to gluten but I am currently on a Gluten free diet and vegan 5 days a week. This recipe is not vegan but all you would need to do is switch the eggs to an egg substitute. You can also switch buckwheat flour to regular flower. 

Ingredients:

1.  2 Ripe bananas 
2. 1 Egg
3. Coconut oil
4. Cinnamon (optional)
5. Desiccated coconut (optional)
6. Coconut milk/almond milk/ regular milk
7. 1 Cup Buckwheat flower
8. Porridge oats (optional)
9. Mushed berries (optional) 
10. Any fruit/seeds for decoration

Methord:

1. Mash up two bananas in a bowl with a fork. 
2. Add one egg and stir till you get a lumpy consistency.
3. Add your one cup of buckwheat flower (or regular flower) to your mixture and keep stirring till you get a batter like consistency.
4. Add the oats and mushed berries now if you choose to include them.
5. Add your coconut milk slowly into the mixture till you feel its the right consistency.
6. Add a pinch of cinnamon and your desiccated coconut.
7.  Add your oil into the pan and they are ready to go!

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Jessup Flat Kabuki Brushes ♡

Im not sure how long these brushes have been around but I recently noticed them in a Youtube makeup tutorial, I loved the way they were applying makeup so I did some further research and read loads of reviews on the brushes. I heard really good things about these Ebay brushes and ordered them. I personally would never get cosmetic brushes on Ebay just because chances are they would probably shed hair and not very good quality etc.

I got the white flat top kabuki brushes here on their online sale for $15 which is about £10, insanely cheap for 10 good quality brushes. I got the white and silver colour which i'm regretting now because they're getting so dirty, but they have a wide range of colours for you to select from. The brushes came from China (I think) and took about two weeks to come which was sooner than the estimated delivery time they gave me, I was supposed to be waiting till the middle of August! 

I tried them out as soon as I got them and it didn't take more than one use for me to love them. My favourite brush is the slanted Kabuki brush which I have been using to apply my foundation, which it does flawlessly! I love the finish on my foundation with this brush over my beauty blender and thats saying something! I haven't used the eyeshadow brushes yet just because I don't wear eye shadow on a day to day basis but I have very high hopes for them. 

I will definitely be purchasing more Jessup brushes in the future when i'm in need of some but right now I have so many I don't know where to keep them! These brushes are so cheap and worth the buy!

If any of you have tried any Jessup brushes please let me know which ones you like so I can get them in my next order!

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MAC Velvet Teddy ♡

I wanted to wait till I had bought a few more MAC products as I don't really like to do reviews on one lipstick, but I had to for this one! If you have been reading my blog for a while or follow me on Twitter you would know I have been looking for this lipstick since December and have had no luck at all. I was on the verge of giving up the hunt until 3 days ago the best day of my beauty blogger life came, I found the famous Velvet Teddy.

This is the lipstick that Kylie Jenner is rumoured to wear, and it looks great on her! Sadly though, my lips look nothing like hers with this on but they still look good. I think this is a perfect nude colour for any skin colour. I have still not found a MAC lipliner to go under it so if you have a recommendation let me know! MAC lipsticks are great in general but I think they are so good with matte colours, I don't find them drying at all and they last all day without needing to touch up. I have always said they should call their matte lipsticks a lip stain because they do not budge all day!

As you can all see I am very happy about this purchase, and if you are lucky enough to have this in stock at your nearest MAC counter then you need to go and try it, I guarantee you will love it.

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Garnier Ultimate Blends Honey Treasures ♡

So the other day whilst I was doing the weekly shop at Tesco with my mum, I went to go and pick up some new shampoo. The Garnier Ultimate Blends range is the one I always reach to in stores as they work so great for me and my hair type. I noticed they had bought out a new honey range, and I had to try it! I picked up the shampoo, conditioner, treatment and hair serum. 

Let me start off with the shampoo and conditioner, they both smell so gorgeous and it actually looks like honey too! You can instantly feel how soft your hair is when you first apply it, you see instant results in the shower! I have now used this about 3 times and my hair does shine a lot more, Im not too sure yet about if strength has been restored but my hair does look a lot healthier than it did 3 showers ago. 

The treatment is a lot thicker than the conditioner but I would say that they both are really the same thing, apart from the fact that the treatment works as a hair mask. I felt they both do the same thing, making the hair softer and shiner. I think I could have done without this product and probably wont repurchase it, I could just keep my conditioner in my hair longer for the same effect.

The serum is divine! I also use another serum mixed in with it which I have a review on, also from the ultimate blends collection. I mix two pumps of the coconut serum and one pump of this honey one. I know that seems like a lot of product but I have crazy thick hair so I need that much product. I have noticed that some of my split ends are no longer split! My hair is full of split ends and i've been trying to schedule a trim this week but I don't think I will need to if I keep using this product religiously. It smells great and leaves my hair feeling amazing and glowy afterwards. 

All in all I think this is a great addition to the line and one I will definitely be repurchasing.

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Manicure Monday ♡

Now that summer is around the corner and the weather is actually acting like it, I came to the realisation that I need to leave the black nails for a few months. I don't think I have worn a colour that isn't black or white on my nails since I was little, but I really do love these.

I went for a pastel purple/lavender as purple is my favourite colour, with a small black and white detailing cause I couldn't get my nails done without incorporating black/white at all.

Sorry about the fuzzy second picture, I couldn't get my camera to focus!

Rings are all from H&M/Forever 21

Hope you all have a lovely week!

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Maybelline Face Master Sculpt ♡

Im not too sure how long this product has been around but I am only just hearing about it. I've mentioned before i'm a big fan of youtube and watching Youtube videos, and recently all my favourite Youtubers have been using this product in their tutorials. 

Im very quick to buy drugstore products because they are usually very affordable, so if I don't really like it I don't feel like its as big of a waste. Whereas with higher end products I feel like regardless if I don't like it I will use every bit of it as it cost so much.

I would recommend this palette to any contour beginner. The powder is very easy to build up which I really like, most drugstore contours are really highly pigmented and I just end up with a brown blob on my cheeks. Its a very true brown colour so you don't need to fear the dreaded orange looking contour, a shade I would say would suit most skin tones. It has a slightly chalky feel to the skin if you use it without a foundation underneath, which I expect from a drugstore contour but this is easily avoided by 1) wearing a foundation or 2) moisturising beforehand if you want to have a no foundation day. 

The highlighter is so much better than I thought it would be. It gives a really natural glow on the skin, I would say its a good dupe for the MAC soft and gentle which I adore minus the specs of shimmer.

I would really recommend this product, great value for money and also really handy when it comes to travelling as you get a 2 in 1.

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Sunday Stripes ♡

Here's my first of hopefully many outfit posts to come! I have wanted to include fashion onto my blog for the longest time and I have finally have! 

I must admit this isn't the greatest quality and I can do a lot better, for now just bare with me. I am looking to invest in a camera so I can post higher quality pictures and possibly start a Youtube channel.

I have linked all the items below if they are still available to buy.

Shirt- Bershka  /  Jeans- Topshop / Shoes-Dune

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Quick, Healthy Summer Snack ♡

Now that summer is around the corner I think every girl is thinking the exact same thing, 'I need to loose weight/go on a diet.' Now, how many of us are actually going to make the effort to diet and exercise now? Probably none of us.

I have been trying to think of some quick and healthy snacks to have instead of a packet of crisps or chocolate when i'm hungry, and this is one of them.

These took me about 10 minutes to make all four, you cant get any quicker than that!

All you need is:

1. Rice cakes
2. Almond or Peanut butter
3. Fruit of your choice

These are so delicious and so much fun to eat! Usually with most diet recipes they're full of ingredients that most homes don't have and are such effort to make. This is just about as easy as it gets. 

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Manicure Monday ♡

It is that day of the week again! Sorry about my inconsistent posts last week, I have a seriously bad case of writers block at the moment, Ive been counting down the days till Monday so I can finally put something up.

I thought I would get something different this month, something that people wouldn't really expect and haven't seen before. The lady who does my nails knows me so well I love it, she knows exactly what I like and the shapes I like. I have been getting compliments non stop all week for these nails saying that they're so unique and quirky. I understand that they're not to everyones taste, they're definitely a love/hate thing.

I personally love them and think they are perfect for the start of summer!

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MAC Haul ♡

The other day I went summer shopping to celebrate the end of my AS exams, i'm so relieved they're finally over! I was going for fashion bits and bobs rather than beauty but if you have been reading my blog for a while now you would know I have no self control when it comes to makeup. I avoided boots all day which was such an achievement for me but whilst I was in Selfridges I got sucked into the MAC counter.

I have a list on my phone where I write down makeup that I want to buy and have been trying to get rid of most of the MAC on there, as compared to the other things on that list, MAC is the most affordable.

I finally got the cult 'Soft & Gentle' highlighter and I don't even know how to explain how beautiful this is, the photo doesn't do it any justice! Its the most beautiful highlighter I have ever owned, i'm so obsessed with it. I usually just apply this on the top of my cheekbones, chin, cupids bow, forehead and down the bridge of my nose. This highlighter is anything but subtle, it is very pigmented so you have to apply with care or you might end up looking like the moon.

I re-purchased MAC 'Brave' lipstick as mine ran out. This is my go to lipstick and would say its my signature colour as I am always wearing it. I really love the way it looks on my skin tone, its really hard for me to actually find lipsticks that match with my skin as I am a very odd colour. Plus I have been doomed with very small lips making it even harder for lipstick to suit me.
You can never really go wrong with a MAC lipstick, plus I am also trying to get my collection to grow bigger so soon I can do a post on my MAC lipstick collection.

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MAC False Lashes Extreme Black Mascara ♡

I was gifted a sample with purchase of this mascara a few months ago and my sample just ran out, so I had to go buy the full size.

I have never tried a MAC mascara before as I haven't really heard much of them, people usually talk about all the other products they have and never mention mascaras. I took that as an indication that maybe their mascaras weren't so good, boy was a wrong.

Im so grateful I was given a small sample of this because it has changed my life!
I would really recommend trying out some of MACs mascaras next time you're in there, especially this one. It gives you really full and dramatic eyelashes, that would look amazing on a night out as it looks like you're wearing falsies. I wear this as an everyday mascara because I love to add that extra emphasis to my eyes, but I know this is a little much for everyday so that might not be for everyone.
Generally, i'm not too keen on mascara wands if they aren't plastic as I find that clumpyness can really be an issue, for me anyway. All the little bristles go everywhere and it just ends up as one big mess which I have to remove, which this one doesn't do so i'm so happy about that.
All in all I would highly recommend this mascara if you're on the hunt for a new one.

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Manicure Monday ♡

I know I did one of these about 2 weeks ago but I needed a change! Expect these every 2 weeks as i'm very easily bored when it comes to my nails.

I always have a look on Pintrest before I get my nails done for some fun designs, and I came across this one

I think that this is of Kylie Jenner's Instagram as I recognise her hands but either way, I fell in love with the white ones! I love simple minimalistic nail art. Plus, Kylie Jenner always has amazing nails! I wish the the salon she goes to was here in London, if you know of anywhere similar let me know! I have had my eye on her Versace nails for a while now but I cant find a place that can do such detailed nail art. 

I originally had mine long like Kylie's but they were just so impractical! I couldn't even text on my phone let alone write seeing as its currently exam time! So I went back and they filed them down to a normal/natural length for me. These are a lot shorter than I am used to but I really like the way they look and think i'm going to keep them as my summer nails.

I thought it would be fitting to include a few updates and what i've got coming up seeing as this is a short post. I'm so happy my exams are over on Wednesday so I will have a lot more time to dedicate to my blog and content. I have something very exciting starting on Wednesday called 'girl talk'  which hopefully you will enjoy as i'm really looking forward to doing more. I am also working on incorporating fashion posts as that was what this blog was initially for, which you might be able to tell by the name of this blog. So keep your eyes peeled for those, all social media links are down below so you can be updated when I post (shameless promo).

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Garnier Ultimate Blends: Sleek Perfector Coconut Oil ♡

I have been using this oil religiously in my hair the past 4 months when I get out of the shower. I bought it thinking it was argan oil and only realised about a week ago it wasn't when looking at the label. I wash my hair about 2/3 times a week, which I know to most people isn't much but as I have extremely thick hair it doesn't get oily. 

I usually pump twice and then rub the product in my hands to warm it up a little, then apply it to my hair. I use my hand as a comb and brush the product into my hair and then use whatever on my palm on the tips. I have noticed my hair is a lot softer and smoother to touch, which is what I was going for as my hair is SO dry and damaged. 

I also use this as a heat protector, usually when I straighten my hair. Once its straight it looks very dull/boring with no shine, this has changed that! It makes my hair really shiny (in a non oily way) and so healthy looking. It also smells good after straightening and your hair actually smells like coconuts rather than burnt after scent. Would 100% recommend this product for anyone with dry/dull hair. I personally haven't noticed any thickening so if you're after that then this isn't for you.

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Beauty Blender Review ♡

So, I have been using this sponge for quite some time now but I didn't think a review was necessary as the blogging community is full of them. I picked mine up at SpaceNK for £18 which is pretty ridiculous for a sponge which I can get from Boots for no more than £3. But I definitely think that it is worth the money.

How have I gone this long without this sponge! It makes my foundation/concealer look flawless and I even use it on my cream contour too. It applies makeup so evenly leaving it with the most natural finish. I haven't used face brushes since I got this as I don't feel the need to. The sponge is made out of latex which saves you makeup as it doesn't absorb it. It absorbs the water if you wet it and then the makeup is like a layer on top. If you every try a knock off you will instantly tell the difference.

 I use it damp but I have used it dry and still looks fine but I personally like that 'wet' look foundation so it helps with that. If you like a more matte look I would advise you use it dry. I have read that it is designed to be used wet , so you will get much better results with it wet. I know they make smaller Beauty Blenders for under eye concealer but I think this works fine for under eyes. I will probably pick up the smaller ones as they are so cute and would be good to have when this one is messy and I haven't got round to cleaning it.
Cleaning it is very easy, it comes with a small cute bar of soap that smells amazing! I have done a lot of reading on it and I have read that you do need to clean it everyday after you use it. People have experienced mould on their Beauty Blender if they haven't washed it as bacteria grows on the makeup. Ever since then I have washed it after use in fear it will happen to mine.

I have heard that Real Techniques do a very good dupe to this, I haven't tried it but I will at some point and so I can post a comparison. But if you don't want to spend £18 on a sponge which is completely understandable, then I would recommend you try it out.

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Manicure Monday ♡

I am currently in an episode of writers block. As exams are a week away like I mentioned in my last post, I don't have time to blog. I am still trying my best to be consistent and post twice/three times a week like before but it can get a bit stressful. As i'm not trying out new products, I cant review them. As i'm not really going out, I cant do outfit posts and lifestyle posts.

So I apologise for my content for the next month as its probably not going to be as good/interesting as it usually is.

I got my nails done about two weeks ago (ft concealer mark on hand) which I need to change for the summer. I kept it simple, shiny black nails with a X on just one nail. I don't personally like having over the top nails, but I also don't like having plain/boring nails.

Before I get my nails done I usually look to Kylie Jenner for nail inspiration and her nail game is pretty strong. 

Im just waiting for my last exam to come so I can go get more summery nails, i'm thinking white. 

I hope this post isn't too boring for you all, it will be better soon I promise!

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